Translating research into better health

Palmer is at the forefront of chiropractic research

Q & A

with Ken Koupal

Insights asked Palmer Trustee Ken Koupal to talk about the
past, present and future of the College and chiropractic

Kenneth “Ken” Koupal
has served as the regional
president of U.S. Bank, N.A.,
in the Quad Cities since
1997. Prior to that, he was
the bank’s senior vice president
of commercial lending.
Mr. Koupal has served as a director of the National Board of
Bank Administration Institute and is past president of the
Scott County Bankers Association. He received his Master of
Business Administration degree in Bank Management from the
University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1987 and graduated from
the American Bankers Association Graduate Commercial
Lending School in 1992. He is the immediate past chair of the
Scott County Family Y Board and of Junior Achievement of
the Heartland. Mr. Koupal also has served as president of the
Davenport Public Library, Friendly House and the Downtown
Davenport Development Corporation. He currently serves on the
boards of the Figge Art Museum, the Illinois Quad City Chamber
of Commerce and the Quad Cities Development Group. He was
appointed to the Palmer Board of Trustees in 2004.

Tell us what strengths you bring to the Board?

I think it is a tremendous privilege and honor to serve on the
Palmer Board of Trustees. As you may know, I am not a chiropractor;
therefore the strengths I bring to the board are related to
my career as a banker. This career has provided me the privilege
of serving on many other nonprofit boards. While every board is
different, there are some “best practices” which can be shared.

What issues in the chiropractic profession or
in education concern you most?

The chiropractic profession has made significant progress in its
quest to be recognized as an essential provider of health care.
That being said, chiropractic care needs to become more
mainstream, evolving to a point where the majority of the
public considers chiropractic an important and crucial
component of their wellness program.

What is your vision of the three campuses of
Palmer College in 25 years?

My vision may, or may not, consist of three campuses. Maybe
it will have four or five campuses. The field of education is
changing fast, and Palmer must be responsive to the needs of
our students.

What have you enjoyed most about being a
member of the Board?

Without question, as a trustee of the Board, I have met some of
the most distinguished members in the chiropractic field. I also
have enjoyed meeting many of the staff on all three campuses. I
can’t begin to tell you how impressed I am of their knowledge,
expertise, professionalism and enthusiasm!

Is there anything else you’d like to add that you
think readers should know?

Around 1955, while my family lived in South Dakota, my
mother and her sister were both diagnosed at the Mayo
Clinic with limb and girdle muscular dystrophy. Their
doctors informed them that there was not a medical cure
and suggested chiropractic care as a possible means to help
maintain their mobility. My mother made several trips to
Palmer’s Clinic in Davenport and brought me along to see
if chiropractic care could help with my asthma. Jobs were
plentiful in the Quad Cities, so my family quit farming and
moved here. The rest is history!

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